Abstract

Uremic pericarditis occurred in 25 of 152 patients treated by chronic dialysis. Pyrexia was associated with pericarditis in 96% of the patients. A friction rub was not heard at any time in two patients during their illness, and in several patients a rub was transient or intermittent. Myocarditis, manifest by hypotension, shock, arrhythmias, and heart failure, was a serious, relatively common complication. Pericarditis occurred significantly more frequently (P < 0.01) in younger patients, especially females. Inadequate dialysis, infection, and hyperparathyroidism appeared to be contributing factors. Steroid therapy produced regression of clinical pericarditis in several patients with severe disease but caused one death from sepsis. One patient developed constrictive pericarditis, and two patients developed subacute constrictive pericarditis. Unsuspected adhesive pericarditis was found at autopsy in eight patients, including two patients treated with steroids.